Supporting a Talent Partnership with Bangladesh

Bangladesh, with over 7.4 million migrant workers overseas, plays a critical role in providing manpower for the global labour markets. However, challenges persist such as skills gaps, high migration costs, and limited opportunities for women. Meanwhile, EU Member States face increasing demand for skilled labour to address workforce shortages across numerous occupational sectors.

To address these issues, the European Union, the Government of Bangladesh, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have launched the Talent Partnership Project—a transformative initiative designed to bridge these gaps.

• Objectives

Building on the groundwork laid by the ILO Skills 21 project, the Talent Partnership project aims to match the Bangladesh workers' skills with EU labour market skills requirements, and align skills qualifications for recognition accordingly.  The Project will furthermore upgrade the skills of 3,000 migrant workers to meet the requirements of EU Member States’ labour markets for multiple occupational sectors in demand, such as health, engineering, ICT, care, hospitality, construction, agriculture etc. 

In addition the Talent Partnership Project will facilitate the establishment of safe and legal mobility pathways between Bangladesh and EU Member States, in adherence with international labour standards and international human rights, in order to enhance the safeguards for migrant workers against the hazards of irregular migration and exploitation.  The Project will furthermore ensure inclusivity of gender and disability.

The Talent Partnership Project will build capacity and support the establishment of dialogue and collaboration mechanisms between stakeholders in Bangladesh and EU Member States, in order to achieve these objectives. 

• Project approach 

The project will support Talent Partnerships between Bangladesh and EU Member States through among other technical support for the following measures: 

• Development or adjustment of policy frameworks and plans, where required; 
• Promoting model bilateral framework arrangements for adaptation; 
• Establishing stakeholder coordination and dialogue mechanisms; 
• Building stakeholder capacity; 
• Development of upgraded occupational sector training, to meet skills in demand
• Collaboration and synergies with public and private sector stakeholders in Bangladesh in EU Member States, adjusting online platforms for skills and job matching, as well as information on qualifications, procedures and requirements.
   
• Outcomes

The Talent Partnership Project will support public and private stakeholders to build bridges between regions, creating triple-wins for:

• Bangladesh benefitting from enhanced skills development and improved governance.
• EU Member States addressing skilled labour shortages.
• Migrant Workers securing safer, fairer, and more rewarding employment opportunities.